1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mechanical devices and apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to fasteners for electronic circuit boards.
2. Description of the Related Art
In high performance aircraft and spacecraft applications, space is often limited and yet performance requirements are often quite high. The high performance requirements translate to complex electronic circuitry. The limited space available for the electronics leads to highly dense circuitry. These circuits must be fastened to the vehicle frame to hold the circuit together and to meet the structural requirements thereof. Unfortunately, with space at a premium, little space is available for fasteners.
This presents a problem, which is exacerbated by the cooling requirements for certain highly dense electronic circuits. Some circuits are cooled by liquid immersion, i.e., immersion jet impingement cooling. This requires some or all of the circuit fasteners to be routed around the cooling apparatus or vice versa to avoid a substantial increase in the space requirements of the circuit. In addition, high vertical interconnect counts and liquid seals require large clamping forces but leave little room for fasteners.
Hence, a need remains in the art for an improved system or method for fastening electronic highly dense circuits in space limited applications, particularly those requiring liquid cooling.